It seems like just yesterday you were enjoying a successful 2017, proudly and confidently presenting your 2018 goals. But now it’s already well into the third quarter, and you need to know how you are doing against those goals. Even in goal-driven industries, overachievers find they set their sights a bit too high and can use a little guidance. Here are some tips to help you accelerate your performance in the second half of the year.
Review the Game Plan
If your goals are performance-based, you probably have been referring to them regularly throughout the year. If they were well-developed, you should be able to easily measure where you are. Be honest and evaluate yourself objectively, as a stranger who has no knowledge of the circumstances of the first half of the year.
Striking out. When a person falls behind on their goals, they begin to question the goals themselves. Were they the best goals to create? Were they solely in one’s control to meet or were there variables that could get in the way of achieving them?
So, if you are questioning your goals, talk to your manager or whoever it is who set them with you. Recalibrating this late in the year might not allow you to hit your original targets and intended rewards, but continuing without a course correction is not advised.
Grand slam. Alternatively, hitting or being ahead of your goals is a great and motivating feeling. Success is contagious and the better you are, the better your program and the company continue to perform. Being too far ahead has its own set of challenges, though, so it’s critical to assess what behavior got you to where you are to adjust or help you stay in the zone.
Assess the Game Plan
In no more than 15 minutes for each goal, determine why you are performing where you are against that goal. Whether you are on your way to Employee-of-the-Year or re-evaluating your place in this business, be brutally honest with yourself. It goes without saying that you should reward the positive (and protect your success at all costs!).
Embrace change. But change what is not working! Whatever you do, do not lose your confidence and give up. Relinquish the past and move on. How? Create a specific plan of how to achieve your goals from here. Break it down to a daily course of action. What needs to happen on a day-to-day basis to achieve your desired outcome? Write it down, make it happen!
Remember, your plan doesn’t have to be long and complicated. In fact, the more basic the better. If you are achieving, challenge yourself to hit another level. Whatever you do, do not allow yourself to coast! The momentum you gain in the next four or five months will not only drive your success this year, it will set you up for an epic 2019.
Be accountable. According to the American Society of Training and Development, you have a 65% chance of completing your goal if you commit to someone. What’s more, if you have a regularly scheduled meeting with someone overseeing your accountability, you are 95% more likely to achieve your goals. Often, when a person is excessively under- or over-performing, accountability resides on the edges of the spectrum — in other words, being overly punitive and/or overly laudatory. Keep your meetings focused on the actions and deliverables you’ve laid out to get back on track or set a new company record.
Achieving your personal goals is critical to your professional success. There’s a reason why less than 20% of people achieve their New Year’s resolution goals and approximately 60% of professionals achieve sales goals. So, for the remainder of the year, ensure you have clear goals, know where you are with them, have a plan and regularly touch base with an accountability partner. And, remember, optimists do it better — so have fun and hit a home run.
